Five illegal crypto exchangers were suppressed in Kazakhstan

The platforms operated outside the Astana International Financial Center, which is prohibited on the territory of the republic

26.01.2023 - 08:15

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What’s new? The Financial Monitoring Agency (AFM) of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported the closure of five unregistered cryptocurrency exchangers. KZobmen, Kazobmen, 1WM, WM007, and KZ-EXCHANGE operated outside the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). Crypto exchanges and advertisements related to digital currencies are prohibited in the country outside the jurisdiction of AIFC.

Information on the website of the Financial Monitoring Agency

What else is known? AFM representatives conducted authorized searches at six addresses and seized laptops, monoblocks, mobile phones, bank and accounting documents, and crypto wallet keys. As a result, two wallets had $6 000 in assets blocked on the Binance exchange. More than $200 000 more in digital currency was found on other trading platforms.

According to a statement from AFM, the pre-trial investigation is ongoing and other information is not subject to disclosure.

In late December, Kazakhstan’s parliament required miners to obtain licenses. The authorities also tested the digital tenge platform, after which the Central Bank issued recommendations for launching the asset. In addition, the Central Bank will integrate the digital tenge with the BNB Chain from the Binance crypto exchange.

In August 2022, Afghan police began shutting down crypto exchanges en masse under a new ban on foreign exchange trading. The detained employees of the exchange offices were later released, but the police did not confiscate digital assets.

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